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How to Pick a Great Latte Machine

A home latte machine allows you to make the latte, cappuccino, macchiato, and mocha of your dreams, without having to pay coffee shop prices. Most espresso and cappuccino makers for your home will pay for themselves in just a few months at most if you regularly drink coffee and espresso with steamed or foamed milk. But how do you find the best home latte machine, especially when you’re on a budget? Our research team researched and reviewed 25 different latte maker models to find the best latte machines around. Yes, there were many caffeine jitters, too. But the results are in! We’ve prepared a simple buying guide below. Before we dive in, look over this list of important specs that you need to know when buying your home latte machine.

Makes Latte & Cappuccino - You’re here for the latte, so this spec is important. Espresso latte machines usually brew espresso and have a frothing wand for milk, but some use a separate milk reservoir or brew and froth in the same container. Some machines also allow you to adjust the consistency of the froth, while others just turn the frothing mechanism on or off.

Makes Espresso - If you’re ever in the mood for a plain espresso shot or want to experiment with new drinks, the latte machine reviews include models that brew espresso by itself. Make sure the milk frothing mechanism is separate from the brewing area if you want to be able to enjoy an espresso on its own. Moreover, most of the machines can produce single or double shots, with programmable or manual pulls.

Uses Ground Coffee -Do you prefer to grind your own beans right before brewing or pick out your favorite pre-ground espresso beans at the store? Learning how to tamp ground espresso is an art form in itself, and some home cappuccino and espresso makers require more practice than others. This spec shows you if the machine can take coffee grounds.

Uses Coffee Pods - If you prefer convenience over ritual, the best latte machine for you might be one that takes ESE coffee pods. Some of our list picks can take freshly ground coffee and espresso pods, but some are exclusively one or the other. The pods for espresso machines are different than the ones used in coffee machines, and some machines also allow you to use refillable, reusable pods.

Water Tank Capacity - We like espresso machines with good-sized water tanks in order to pump out as many shots as possible before refilling. Larger water reservoirs are great for making espresso or lattes for a group. Most of the home latte machines on our list have water tanks that are also removable. This makes them easier to clean between uses, and easier to fill up.

Dimensions - How big is it? Size matters. If you want a desktop espresso machine or one that you can set up on a countertop, smaller is better, but larger devices may offer more features like a milk reservoir and larger water tank size. It’s important to compare the overall size of the model against the space you have for it. Not a big deal, but worth checking out.

Top 10 Products

We uncovered a range of impressive yet inexpensive home latte machines in our research. There should be something for everyone, from pod coffee lovers to aspiring baristas to people who just want to keep their expensive tastes without dropping lots of money each week at their local coffee shop. Whether you want to feel creative or just get a strong caffeine hit, one of these machines should do it for you. Happy brewing!

The Mr. Coffee ECMP1000 is a great little machine for making lattes that is still easy on the wallet. This espresso and latte machine brews espresso in single shots or double shots. An automatic milk frother heats and foams milk in an included container while the espresso brews. The adjustable and removable drip tray allows you to fit a full-size latte mug as well as standard coffee mugs and demitasse under the espresso spout. The water reservoir is also removable, making it easy to clean and to fill up. The fact that you can brew true espresso is a big plus in our books, especially for the price. The shots this machine makes taste incredible! The controls are simple: choose from two sizes of espresso, cappuccino, or latte after inserting the coffee filter and filling the milk container, and the machine does the rest. You can set your ideal froth level by adjusting a knob, from fine microfoam to big bubbles. The 15 bar pump-driven mechanism produces great espresso every time.

The BVMC-EL1 is another creation from Mr. Coffee that is a great little home cappuccino and latte machine. The reservoir is a little small at about three cups, but this is enough to make a couple of latte servings. A whisk froths the milk in the carafe as it heats, and the coffee brews into it. You can also remove the frothing lid to make plain coffee, or use the frothing attachment to make hot chocolate or chai lattes. The machine turns off automatically once brewing is complete, so you’ll never find yourself drinking scalded milk or bitter coffee with your latte. If you’re looking for a cheap home latte machine, the BVMC-EL1 is a great choice! Something to consider is that you can’t make true espresso with this machine because it lacks the special pressurized system. You can, however, use ground espresso beans to brew a strong coffee for a very similar experience. For the price, it’s a smart option.

This is one of the best pod latte machines we tried. The Lattissima Plus makes pod coffee even easier with a used capsule tank that used Nespresso ESE pods are ejected into automatically after brewing. The machine is ready to brew in 40 seconds and comes with an included milk reservoir that pumps foamy milk right into your cup or the included 12-ounce carafe. Another great feature is the machine’s programmability. You can save your favorite drinks based on how much milk or coffee you prefer. The Lattissima Plus also comes with a selection of Nespresso pods to get you addicted to--uh, started. This unit also self-cleans its milk pumping equipment with the press of a button by pushing steam through the milk spout. Although the machine automatically turns off nine minutes after brewing, you can change this setting to half an hour and even up to eight hours (we recommend turning it off early, though).

If you want an authentic espresso experience, the Breville BES870XL is all you need. This luxury espresso machine makes authentic espresso with its 15-bar Italian pump system and has a wand attachment for frothing and steaming milk. The built-in sealed bean hopper holds up to half a pound of whole beans, and a conical burr grinder grinds them right into the filter based on the grind amount and grind size you’ve selected. The included dual wall filters are more beginner-friendly, but advanced users can take advantage of the included single wall filters. There’s also a cup warmer and a post-brew option to solidify the puck of espresso in the filter. This machine has too many amazing features to list here and that luxury and customizability comes at a price. If you want one of the best espresso latte machines that money can buy, this Breville creation is about as close as you can get. It’s fantastic.

If you want to pull your own shots but don’t want to mess with tamping and spilled coffee grounds, this pod espresso and latte machine might be a good option for you. The Gourmia GCM5500 uses ESE pods, including Nespresso pods, for perfect espresso every time. The separate milk reservoir pumps hot frothed milk directly into your cup, and the controls keep it simple. Just choose from plain espresso, a lungo shot, cappuccino style, and latte macchiato.
The drip tray is removable to fit a range of mug sizes and even some travel mugs. The pods eject after use into a container for easy cleanup later. If you love this machine’s milk frothing feature and compact size but don’t want to be stuck using pods, reusable pod containers are available that you can fill with your own preferred grind of beans.

The VonShef Latte Maker makes it easy to serve up two fancy drinks at a time with its two espresso spouts. The 15-bar pump produces authentic espresso and has an attached frothing and steaming wand for milk. The drip tray is removable, so you have room for regular mugs and demitasse as well as a cappuccino cup. The water tank is a good size and can be removed for easy filling and cleaning at the sink. The simple controls let you set the amount of espresso to drip and to turn on and off the steaming function. A knob above the frothing wand lets you adjust the desired froth amount and size. This espresso and cappuccino machine is a little larger and has a plain plastic body, but the large water tank and ability to fill two different cups at once is a good feature for making espresso for groups.

If you like our budget pick but want a more authentic espresso experience, the ECM160 from Mr. Coffee offers a similar system but with steam heat to brew espresso. The included glass carafe with handy measuring marks holds up to four shots (20 ounces), or you can remove the drip tray and brew right into your mug. A frothing and steaming wand lets you prepare milk separately for cappuccinos, macchiatos, and more. It is available at a low price, making it a great budget latte machine and ideal for beginners. Note that the water tank is not removable on this one. The ECM160 is a good machine to take traveling due to its small size if you can’t imagine waking up in a hotel without your morning espresso. Even if you only want a basic espresso machine that makes excellent drinks, this one is a great choice.

The Nespresso Inissia is a compact pod espresso maker that’s ready to brew in 25 seconds and can make up to nine cups from a full water tank. It is the lightest Nespresso machine and incredibly portable due to its petite size. The cup tray folds up for larger cups, and a reservoir in the device holds up to ten used coffee pods so you can delay cleaning as long as possible. This option comes bundled with an Aeroccino Plus milk frother that can make hot or cold frothed milk. It can hold up to about half a cup of milk for frothing or just over one cup of hot milk. In just over a minute you’ll have hot frothed milk waiting for you. This is a great bundle of well-made technology, designed to get you from start-up to latte as quickly as possible. The Inissia also comes with 16 Nespresso pods in a variety of flavors to try out.

The Hamilton Beach 40792 combines a 15-bar Italian pump pressure system with a swiveling wand for steaming and frothing milk. The filter uses a Slide and Lock system to lock into place, so you know when you’ve positioned the filter properly. You can use pods or grounds and use the cup warmer to heat your mug before brewing. The water reservoir is removable, making it easy to fill. You can also take out the drip tray for cleaning and to fit larger mugs, as only smaller mugs and demitasse fit with the tray installed. The system is easy to use with just a few buttons and a dial and works relatively quickly. We found that this machine was quiet and great for beginners thanks to the Slide and Lock system for the filter. Since you can pull your own shots, you can even make a coffee-like beverage just by letting it brew for long enough.

Another winner from the Mr. Coffee brand, the ECMP50 falls between the lower-end steam-powered ECM160 and the higher-end ECMP1000. It uses a pressure pump system to produce espresso, and the distance between the spouts allows you to make two separate cups at a time. With the drip tray in place, we could squeeze smaller coffee mugs in, but demitasse fit best. The drip tray is removable for easy cleaning and for larger mugs. Controls are simple but limited. However, you get to pull your own shot, and the frothing arm is adjustable and can be tucked out of the way between uses. The Mr. Coffee ECMP50 comes with single shot and double shot filters. The heating system is fast and efficient, and parts like the milk frother cover and the filters are easy to clean between uses.

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